Ulquiorra Schiffer
Ulquiorra Schiffer 'is the ''Quattro (Fourth) Espada in Aizen's army of Arrancar. Background Physical Appearance Ulquiorra is a slender, yet fairly muscular, male Arrancar of average height with a melancholic appearance, fairly short, messy black hair, pale white skin, a black upper lip, and green eyes with slit-shaped pupils similar to a cat's. Part of his bangs falls between his eyes, and he has distinctively thick eyebrows. He has teal lines that descend from his eyes, making it appear as if he is crying. His facial expression rarely changes, and he is almost always frowning. He wears typical Arrancar clothes: a white jacket, a black sash, a white hakama, black tabi, and white zori. However, his jacket seems to have two longer coattails than others, and the collar is rather high. Like most other Arrancar, he possesses remnants of his former life as a Hollow in his appearance. His Hollow hole is located on his sternum, though the hole was initially located on the base of his throat. The remainder of his Hollow mask lies on the top-left side of his head, forming a broken horned helmet. His Espada tattoo lies on the left side of his chest. Personality Ulquiorra is a very cold, callous, heartless dispassionate figure, and is rather aloof, brooding, and indifferent, willing to harm both his comrades and enemies should they ever get in his way. He refers to anyone he does not find interesting as "trash" and treats them as expendable. Despite this, like most of the other top Espada, he is not particularly violent and will only fight when provoked or ordered to by Aizen. Ulquiorra has a strange habit of killing victims he is particularly interested in by stabbing them with his bare hand in the same location as his hollow hole, as stated by Grimmjow. Whether he is consciously aware of this habit or not is unknown. During a speech to Orihime, he claims he does not believe in human emotions, which he refers to as the "heart", reasoning that if his eye cannot see them, then they do not exist. These words, and much of Ulquiorra's overall behavior, can lead one to assume that he is a firm believer in the concept of materialism, which also connects to his aspect of death as an Espada, nihilism. In the last seconds of his life, he seemed to have finally found his own "heart" and understood feelings. His cold demeanor allows him to stay completely calm and in control in most situations, and he is not easy surprised or caught off-guard. However, he does not seem to comprehend the human trait of fighting against all odds or the very concept of the human heart/emotions; during his latest battle with Ichigo, he completely overwhelms the Soul Reaper after releasing his Zanpakuto, yet Ichigo continues to fight on regardless. This briefly causes him to lose his cool, causing him to shout at Ichigo out of frustration that "to continue fighting is pointless". He then transforms into his Segunda Etapa form in an attempt to show him "true despair". He also seems to contradict himself, telling Ichigo that it's natural for humans to mimic hollows to become stronger; but they will never be the equal of hollows, though the Arrancar are doing much of the same by imitating Shinigami. Ulquiorra is also highly perceptive, cunning, and analytical. During his and Yammy's first visit to the human world, he makes several surprisingly accurate remarks on the humans who confronted them. History Powers and Abilities Combat Skills *'''Master Swordsman Specialist: Though he rarely engages in it, Ulquiorra appears to be highly skilled in swordsmanship. He is capable of using his speed for flawless precision and to inflict lethal attacks without much effort. Ulquiorra prefers to wield his sword with his right hand, leaving the other hand free, though it usually remains in his pocket. He is quite adept at blocking. He was able to overwhelm Ichigo while he was in his Bankai for a short amount of time, and was able fend off the latter when he was using his Hollow mask-enhanced Bankai long enough to reach the top of Las Noches, though his Zanpakuto was nearly broken. *'Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant': Ulquiorra has shown to rely mostly on hand-to-hand combat, rarely drawing his sword at all. Ichigo speculates that he only draws his sword against opponents he considers "worthy". Ulquiorra also seems to prefer applying an 'off-the-ground' method of combat, often being seen attacking opponents from aerial standpoints, such as when he attempted to use his Cero on an offending Grimmjow by attacking him from the air above his head, or when he jumped upwards with a Sonído in an attempt to catch Ichigo off guard during their most recent confrontation. According to Grimmjow, his trademark attack towards prey that he likes is to impale an opponent in the chest and gouge a hole in them in the same place as his own. Arrancar Capabilities *'Sonido Master': One of Ulquiorra's more noticeable traits is his tremendously skillful speed. He has demonstrated the ability to catch up with Ichigo after kicking him from a tower in a few moments. He has also shown the ability to skilfully keep up with Ichigo's Bankai-enhanced speed. Ulquiorra moves at an excessively fast speed in combat, moving so fast that Ichigo found it hard to even discern his movements at first. Though he shows an even greater level of speed astonishing and outclassing Ichigo even further. During his two encounters with Karin Kurosaki and Jinora, he was able to keep up with Karin's Bankai-enhanced speed and Jinora's airbending-and Zenkai-enhanced speed, and is shown to outclass both girls even further, all at the same time. *'Cero': Ulquiorra has been shown using Cero from his fingers with very destructive power. His Cero can be charged and fired relatively fast and is a green color instead of crimson red, which is the most common color of a Cero. The force of the blast is powerful enough to send an opponent hurtling long distances effectively destroying any obstacle in its path at great range. His Cero was even noted when he was able to shatter Ichigo's Hollow Mask during their first encounter (though the latter was capable of withstanding the technique's power, which impressed Ulquiorra), but wasn't strong enough to destroy the mask during their second encounter. He is shown able to fire it from either hand. *'Bala': This technique hardens the user's spiritual pressure and fires it like a bullet from their fist. *'Enhanced Hierro' (Iron Skin): Hierro refers to the hardened skin of the Arrancar, which is a result of their compressed spiritual power. While not openly stated, it has been seen repeatedly that Ulquiorra's skin is highly durable even by Arrancar standards. He can deflect attacks of similar power barehanded. He is able to fight Ichigo in both his Bankai and Hollow form without unsheathing his sword, rendering Ichigo defenseless with two attacks and not sustaining injuries of any kind. The best example of his Hierro's might was shown from his ability to take a direct slash from Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu with only a minor cut on his chest, while his fellow Espada Yammy lost an arm from the said opponent. Also, in his released form, Ulquiorra's Hierro appears to be even stronger, as Ichigo's strongest attacks seem to have no effect on him. His Hierro has later increased to the point where he can fend off Karin in her Bankai and Jinora in her Zenkai without using his Zanpakuto, and easily defeated the two girls bare-handed, though his clothes were damaged and even sustained several burn marks from their combined attacks. *'Enhanced Pesquisa': The Arrancar ability to sense spiritual energy. While any Arrancar can learn it, Ulquiorra has shown impressive skill with it. From a single glance at his opponent, Ulquiorra can immediately determine how powerful his opponent is. He is also able to comprehend the flow and concentration of the person's energy as shown from his ability to instantly notice Ichigo's energy was fluctuating due to his inner Hollow. *'High-Speed Regeneration': Despite having great attack power and speed, Ulquiorra's greatest strength isn't offensive but his regenerative power. It is first witnessed after he removed and crushed one of his eyes, then he is seen with two eyes again in his next appearance, and Yammy comments on it to that effect. This is displayed once more in his battle against Ichigo's evolved Hollow form where he regenerates the arm that was torn off. Ulquiorra states that it is his greatest power, one which most Arrancar give up in return for greater strength. He explains that he can quickly regenerate any part of his body except for his brain and Internal organs. However, this power also requires that he had sufficient spiritual energy. *'Solita Vista' (All-Eyes World): This ability allows Ulquiorra to replay events he has seen to others by removing and crushing an eye, which turns into dust and flows around those he intends to use it on. The dust relays his sight and feelings. *'Descorrer' (Splitting Void): A technique used by Espada-level Arrancar, and sometimes others, to open a Garganta between the Human World and Hueco Mundo. **'Garganta Broadcast': Ulquiorra can create a visual broadcast, similar to a television screen, using individual Garganta portals. Intelligence *'Keen Intellect': In addition to his remarkable combat prowess, Ulquiorra is also gifted with great insight and understanding to situations at hand. His intelligence is such that even Aizen, a man arguably best-known for his intellect, has respect for as he sent Ulquiorra to investigate Ichigo's power and threat level. With his calm and collected nature, Ulquiorra has can be highly perceptive and analytical, allowing him to easily deduce the basic idea of his opponent's skills to figure out its strengths and weakness. Other Skills *'Enhanced Strength': Ulquiorra has proven to be deceptively mighty for his build. He has shown the ability to physically discipline Yammy, an Espada known primarily for his strength with no visible effort. He can upturn huge portions of rock floor with a single strike at the ground with his sword. He has also shown the ability to kick Ichigo a tremendous distance with one strong kick. Spiritual Power *'Immense Spiritual Power': As an Espada-class Arrancar, his spiritual power is immensely high, comparing his own spiritual power to the likes of Ichigo. As one of the top four Espada, he is forbidden to release his Zanpakuto within Las Noches. That is because they are too powerful and such a release would cause great damage to the fortress. During his first meeting with Ichigo, he compared his levels to that of Ichigo, a Soul Reaper with exceedingly high spiritual energy, and he comments that the Soul Reaper's energy at its peak is higher than his own but fluctuates. During his encounter with Karin and Jinora, he determines that his level of spiritual energy is equal to Karin in her Bankai and Jinora in her Zenkai. His Reiatsu is green. Zanpakuto Murcielago '(''Black-Winged Great Demon): Ulquiorra's Zanpakuto takes the form of a standard sized katana with a green handle and sheath. The guard has two curved extensions from its long sides, with a line going through both sides to give it an eye-like appearance. *Resurreccion: Its' release command is "'''Enclose". Murcielago unleashes with a burst of spiritual energy that falls around Ulquiorra as black rain. In his released state, Ulquiorra becomes bat-like in appearance. He gains giant wings on his back, his hair becomes longer and wilder on the left side of his head, and the remains of his Hollow mask centers atop his head, with two large horns extending outward to the sides towards the front. The lines on his face become broader and more triangular and his fingernails lengthen. His Arrancar attire becomes more form fitting and closed at the top, becoming more like a robe towards the bottom. In this form, he can use his wings for flight. Resurreccion Special Ability *'Luz del la Luna' (Light of the Moon): Ulquiorra can generate green energy javelins. He can use them as long-ranged weapons, throwing them at an opponent, and as a melee weapon in close-combat. It can even be used in his Segunda Etapa form. *'Enhanced Hand-to-Hand Combat Prowess': In his released state, Ulquiorra's fighting style has changed to a different style. *'Enhanced Speed': His speed is greatly enhanced to the point that Ichigo's hollow mask-enhanced Bankai has difficulty keeping up. *'Enhanced Hierro': His Hierro has also vastly increased in strength to the point where a Bankai- and Hollow mask-enhanced Getsuga Tensho fired by Ichigo activated has no effect at all. *'Enhanced Spiritual Power': Though already possessing immense spiritual power once released his spiritual energy permeates the area, it is intense enough to create a heavy affect on others as well as to cause what appears a black rain to fall in the surrounding area when he releases. His Reiatsu is now black with a dark green outline. *'Cero Oscuras' (Black Hollow Flash): A black, or more grammatically correct Cero Oscuro, is a full-powered black Cero used primarily by Ulquiorra. When using this technique, Ulquiorra concentrates his vast spiritual energy with only his index finger into an condensed jet-black Cero with great might. The result of being used in his released state is a much greater Cero, exceeding even Gran Rey Cero, the ultimate Cero, and has been referred to as "an Espada's fully-powered Cero." When fired, it covers any exposed light into absolute pitch darkness. The Cero Oscuras's range is vast, and is mighty enough to completely shatter Ichigo Kurosaki's Hollow Mask (something Gran Rey Cero couldn't do), critically injuring him in the process, and strong enough to destroy half of the dome over Las Noches. *'Resurreccion': Segunda Etapa '(''Sword Release: Second Stage): Upon his transformation, Ulquiorra boasts that he is the only Arrancar among all the Espada who is able to reach a second Resurreccion form, and that even Aizen has not seen him in this form. Ulquiorra refers to his second state as "True Despair", both before and after its release, because the immensely dense spiritual pressure it releases instils despair upon those around him. While he retains his black wings, his long white coat is gone, revealing a more defined musculature with his chest bare and Hollow hole (which has become larger) dripping black, blood-like liquid. His waist becomes covered in something similar to black fur, which also covers his arms and legs. His fingers grow claw-like extensions and his feet become like talons. His irises of his eyes turn yellow while the sclera becomes green. The tear-like marks under his eyes increase and turn black. Ulquiorra's mask remains turn into two long horns, and the #4 Espada tattoo is no longer visible on his chest. He grows a very long and thin but powerful tail which is capable of being used as a weapon or to lift and strangle a victim. **'''Power Augmentation: **'Lagito' (Whip) **'Tromba' (Devil Whirling Strike) **'Vuello Oscuras' (Black Soaring Attack) **'Lanza del Relampago' (Lance of Thunder and Lightning): Ulquiorra creates a javelin-like weapon using his spiritual power, which he can use as a projectile or as a physical weapon. When thrown, it produces an incredibly-destructive explosion on impact, which dwarfs the fortress of Las Noches in height. Ulquiorra prefers to not use the attack at close range, most likely because the resulting blast would damage himself as well as Las Noches. While he can use these spears in rapid succession, he has difficulty controlling their trajectory. Ulquiorra is also able to use this attack as a blade, which disintegrates material upon impact; as seen when he struck away his own amputated arm, that Hollow Ichigo had just thrown at him. The spear can also be quite effective at cutting, as seen when he used it to sever one of Hollow Ichigo's horns to prevent him from using a Cero on Uryu. **'Overwhelming Reiatsu': Equipment * Relationships Allies *Yammy Riyalgo (Partner-in-combat) *Sosuke Aizen (Lord) Enemies *Ichigo Kurosaki *Orihime Inoue *Uryu Ishida *Soul Reaper Taskforce **Rukia Kuchiki **Renji Abarai **Toshiro Hitsugaya **Rangiku Matsumoto **Ikkaku Madarame **Yumichika Ayasegawa *Grimmjow Jaegerjaques *Karin Kurosaki *Momo Hinamori *Jinora *Ikki Theme Songs * Background in Other Media * Quotes * Trivia * See Also * Category:Characters Category:Villains Category:Males Category:Arrancars Category:Espadas Category:White Army Category:Advanced Captain-class Fighters Category:Bleach Series Characters Category:Guard Type Characters Category:Naruto, Bleach, Korra, and Sonic: Project Storm Playable Characters Category:Dark Alliance Category:Master Swordsmen Specialists Category:Master Hand-to-Hand Combatants Category:Sonido Masters Category:Most Powerful Characters in Bleach Category:Single Characters Category:Leaders/Commanders